Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

In Greek mythology, Leander was a youth from Abydos who fell in love with Hero, a priestess of Aphrodite in Sestos. He would swim across the Hellespont nightly to visit her, guided by a light from her tower.12

One stormy night, the light was extinguished, and Leander drowned. Hero, upon discovering his body, took her own life. This tragic love story is preserved in ancient literature and has been adapted by later poets. Leander is considered a legendary figure within Greek mythology.134

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.